Pagina's

Here's a small update to this story, which itself will probably be updated before the week is out.

PVV, the party of Geert Wilders, will table a motion of no-confidence against two secrataries of state (sworn in by now) on Thursday. The two secretaries of state hold double nationalities, which, the PVV argues, makes them unfit for their function, since a conflict of interest cannot be ruled out. Nebahat Albayrak, for instance, holds the Turkish nationality and is the secretary of state on immigration matters. In that capacity she will also have to decide the eligibillity of Turkish immigrants.

As we reported earlier, the PVV tried to table the motion before the secretaries of state were sworn in, but were strongarmed into withdrawing the motion by the speaker of Second Chamber Verbeet. The motion next Thursday willbe tabled and soundly defeated. All coalition partners (CDA, PvdA and CU) have voiced their objections to the PVV motion. Since they hold a majority the defeat of the motion is a done deal. Never mind the cries of indignation from the really left in parliament.

This weekend, Wilders said in newspaper NRC Handelsblad he would put forward a motion of no confidence in the two Labour (PvdA) state secretaries on Thursday, during the Lower House debate on the coalition accord. The entire Lower House is furious about this.

But radio programme Standpunt presented its listeners yesterday with the statement: 'The motion of no confidence against the state secretaries is correct.' Of the 10,000 voters, 59 percent agreed and 41 percent disagreed. If the motion were adopted - which will not happen - the House would implicitly be demanding the state secretaries' resignation.